


Where there's Smoke

by Daphnean



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-30
Updated: 2015-05-30
Packaged: 2018-08-16 12:57:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,127
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8103175
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Daphnean/pseuds/Daphnean
Summary: Joonmyun's a typical cynic. Love finds him anyways.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [IdolDaydreams](https://archiveofourown.org/users/IdolDaydreams/gifts).



“You’re taking June 1st off again.” Minseok raised a brow as he looked down over the vacation request form. It was both a question and a statement of disappointment. Usually, this meant Joonmyun could set up a chilly wall between him and the person he was addressing, but Minseok was too good of a friend to wall away so easily.

Joonmyun ran a hand through his hair, he’d need to get it cut soon. “You act like I’m suddenly going to change my opinion on this whole soulmate thing.”

“People change all the time,” Minseok started placing the date in on the clinic’s calendar, making sure their clients knew their head veterinarian would be out for the first of the month, “but I gave up on arguing with you a long time ago.”

Better than Joonmyun’s parents. Every year since they had his palm read at thirteen, they insisted on trying to get him to go out and meet his soulmate. When the ink had settled in on the lines on his palm, black and sharp as it read the date and time he was to meet his soulmate, Joonmyun was horrified. He’d scrubbed at his hand for weeks after, hoping to remove the numbers even after the ink had long since faded.

Joonmyun was the typical cynic, all things considered. He couldn’t dispute the existence of soulmates, there was far too much evidence in support. His parents had the same date on their hands, exactly when they met so many years ago. Of the many things he did deny, Joonmyun couldn’t ignore how the security appealed to him. Knowing there was his perfect match just waiting to be with him and fill in his gaps…but what gaps he had didn’t mean he wasn’t complete or whole as a person.

The idea of a predestined path, a journey he was being lead down instead of exploring; a game of bumper bowling with the guards left up...just thinking on it for too long made the anxiety twist in his stomach and ribs, acidic with a slow burn.

With a sigh Joonmyun started straightening a few bits of paperwork Minseok had asked him to sign. “Let me guess, you and Jongin are going to do nothing but talk about me while I’m gone?”

“Of course, but we’d do that anyways,” was Minseok’s cheeky reply. His scrubs today were a soft blue with gray pawprints climbing across his shoulders. “Enjoy your day off, Myunie.”

Jongin popped up then, coming up to the desk slightly out of breath, likely just having wrestled another patient into the holding pens in the back. “That was a rowdy corgi. And hyung, really you could be worse, one of those people that go online on those forums to force themselves to meet their soulmate.”

Joonmyun ruffled his hair affectionately. “Exactly. This is why you’re my favorite.”

“And a kiss-ass,” Minseok added with a chuckle, “Luckily he’s cute.”

Jongin’s pout was so childish that Joonmyun couldn’t help but laugh as he signed the last order form. “Get back to work, Jonginnie. We have a surgery in thirty, remember?”

\--

Joonmyun was careful always to wake himself up after 7:32, when the first came around. Then he’d only have the evening to worry about, when he’d stare intently at the clock until he watched 7:33 arrive in mind-numbing relief. He never left the house, never ordered in, and turned his cell phone off.

Every year passed the same.

Groggily he sat up; sleep disorienting his perception as he finally recognized the sound as his apartment building’s fire alarms. It was only then he looked over at the clock and watched as the green numbers blinked back 7:10 that his pulse jumped in panic, adrenaline lacing his thoughts with concern. It had to be a false alarm. Someone burned something for breakfast or it was an electrical glitch.

7:15 and he started to hear sirens. By the time he threw on his robe over his pajamas and rushed into the living room, he could smell the smoke, see it curling under the doorframe. Cynic or not, Joonmyun wasn’t willing to die because he was a stubborn ass. He brought his robe up over his mouth and went to open up the windows, about to start crying out for help when he heard a crash, door flying open wide as a firefighter broke in to the apartment. Joonmyun barely had a moment to think, to try and find some sort of way to stall for just a few minutes when he was picked up in the fireman’s hold and carried out of the building.

His thoughts were a jumbled mess when they made it to the street outside his apartment. Some of the other residents were gathered around in their pajamas and blankets. He could see the unfortunate Kim Jonghyun, one of his friends from the down the hall, with his hair still damp and a borrowed robe on from where he must have been showering.

Slowly he was lowered to his feet, the firefighter who had rescued him removing some of his equipment so Joonmyun could see his face. His eyes were sharp and his mouth was almost Cheshire, cat-like in the corners.

“You okay? We’ll take you to the ambulance in just a second.” He was slightly out of breath.

Joonmyun didn’t have his phone, have his watch, and despite the way his stomach felt as if it was in his kneecaps, his voice shook as he asked, “What’s the time?”

The firefighter blinked, and then smiled wide. “Probably a little after 7:30…mean something to you?”

There was soot on his hand, from grabbing on to the fireman’s suit earlier. The numbers were clear on his palm as he held it up. He didn’t think he had words at the moment, his thoughts so scattered he couldn’t pull them together enough to speak.

“Well, hello there soulmate,” the man replied, pulling his glove off and smearing some of the ash on his own palm. The numbers were a perfect match.

\--

Jongdae, Joonmyun learned his name on the way to ambulance, had to run off to talk to his supervisor and do a run through of the apartments now that the fire was supposedly out. Joonmyun let one of the staff in the ambulance, a kind looking man named Jinki, check him over before settling him down with a bottle of water on a bench with some of the other residents.

More than anything, Joonmyun just didn’t want to have to face his parents and friends. Years of his dismissal of soulmates, comments like “if they were meant to be my soulmate they’d find a way” were going to be shoved in his face for the rest of his life now. His parents would already start talking of marriage and a future when he just had learned the other man’s name.

Joonmyun’s hand was clean now, but he swore the numbers burned and ached. He’d almost asked for a bandage to cover them.

“Jinki said you’ve held up just fine.” Jongdae sat down beside him, now in just half of his equipment, face still streaked with sweat and soot, “And the building’s fine. The apartment across from yours had a kitchen fire. That unit is in bad shape and the hall needs some work, but you can go back to your place no problem. It’s been cleared.”

“Fantastic.” Joonmyun didn’t look over at him.

Jongdae chuckled, and the amusement in his voice just tickled the irritation in Joonmyun’s chest. “I was supposed to head back to the station, but the chief said due to the circumstances I could stay and talk with you. I had no clue you’d be so thrilled.”

“Elated. Thinking of how we’re going to adopt children already?” Joonmyun took a sip of water, trying to soothe his sour stomach.

A snort, and Jongdae nudged him with his elbow. “Jeez you haven’t even bought me dinner yet and we’re jumping to kids? I don’t even know your name.”

“It’s Joonmyun. A veterinarian who has never wanted in on this soulmate business.” He plucked at the label of the water bottle with his nails.

“Not into romance or not into the cheesy shit in the movies?” Jongdae seemed almost bemused by his lack of enthusiasm. Somehow this just pissed Joonmyun off.

“Isn’t it all the same? No one just goes out with someone because they like them. Nature gives them lottery numbers and then it’s like people-” Joonmyun stopped as soon as Jongdae raised his hand up.

“Question: Do you really know people who did that? Who do that? I’d kind of like to get to know you and all.” Jongdae’s tone was pleasant, but there was an undercurrent of something that made it seem superficial.

Joonmyun sighed, running a hand through his hair, still mussed and oily as he hadn’t had his morning shower yet. “My parents…never shut up about this sort of thing.”

“Ah.” Jongdae leaned back against the bench. “My uncle is like that, goes on and on about soulmates being forever and all. That said, I’m fairly sure you’re going to have to win me over. Because even if you’re cute when you’re grumpy, I’m still not so sure about your negative attitude.”

A small bit of guilt started to fester inside Joonmyun’s belly, alongside nerves and shame. He looked over and wondered if Jongdae had been looking forward to his soulmate, was counting down the days till June 1st only to have someone act like it was something tragic. Joonmyun had done everything but start kicking and screaming.

“What did you think,” he took another drink of water, “of soulmates?”

“Well, I know some friends that are soulmates, but married to different people. Same dates on several sets of hands. I have one friend; she doesn’t like anyone in any way with a numberless palm. My parents got divorced when I was seventeen, found new numbers were on their palms one day. I think the numbers mean as much as you want them to.” He ran a hand through his hair. “And for someone so against it, I think you let them become bigger than they needed to be.”

Joonmyun felt the heat rise in his cheeks. “The movies-”

“Are full of shit. And people too, if you listen to them too much.” Jongdae chuckled. “So what’s it going to be, Joonmyun? Gonna give us a shot?”

Licking the corner of his mouth, Joonmyun sighed. “I need to think on it.”

“Well, let me give you my number and we’ll go from there?” Jongdae gave another smile, a little warmer than before.

Joonmyun looked up at his apartment. “My phone’s up there.”

After a moment of searching, Jongdae got a pen, taking it and writing his phone number on Joonmyun’s palm, covering up where the date still remained. “There. You have a choice, Joonmyun. Always have.”

For a while after Jongdae left, Joonmyun sat staring at the blue ink smudged against his palm.

\--

“And now don’t forget to schedule Ghost for her appointment next month, I know Mr. Lee is going to be out of town and-” a hand over his eyes. Jongdae really did never change. “I’m at work, Dae.”

Minseok chuckled. “It’s cute, really. You know you like it. You make those ugly faces when he does it.”

“I do not!” Joonmyun tried to go for insulted but could feel the smile slowly grow wider on his face as Jongdae pulled his hand away.

“You’re about to go on lunch with me, besides Minseok likes me better anyways. You’ve been so much less of a stickler since you and I started dating.” Jongdae gave the man at the desk a wink.

Joonmyun sighed, rubbing his temples. “You two being friends is dangerous for my health.”

“Jongin loves me too. Accept it, I’m not going anywhere.” Jongdae slipped his hand in his. “Come on, I’ll go buy you noodles.”

Minseok waved them off. “Go on. I’ve got this. You act like I haven’t worked with you for five years, Kim Joonmyun.”

“That’s because you still look like you did in college,” he retorted back as Jongdae started to lead them off, “Can’t I take off my labcoat first?”

He could choose to end things with Jongdae tomorrow. Choose to ask him to marry him. There was so much possibility in him that it was almost terrifying. His parents still had the same spiels about true love, but Joonmyun felt that we he was building with Jongdae was far stronger than what fate designed. Whatever he decided, he knew Jongdae wasn’t going anywhere. The numbers no longer felt as heavy on his palm.

**Author's Note:**

> This was a birthday fic for one of my other best friends, Jay. I haven't written him anything in a while, but I hope to write more for him soon.
> 
> EXO and all other Kpop entertainers presented here are real people and so I remind you that this is just a fic, like a play with their stage personas as the actors. This is not intended to be a representation of who these men and women are or are not. Remember to love and respect them always. And thanks for reading! <3


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